Kathleen Mary Maragret Byrne a.ka Kit, is a fourteen year old girl. She is the protagonist because the story is about her life and decisions during the potato famine in Ireland.
Antagonist
Daniel Lynch who is a middleman for Kit's family's landlord. He evicts everyone from their homes and does not care about anyone but himself.
Setting
Ireland 1847, during the potato famine.
Conflict
There are countless conflicts and problems in this book. The main conflict is the blight, which causes people's potatoes to die. Because of this, many people starve to death or can not sell potatoes to get money to pay their rents, so they are evicted.
Climax
When Kit tries to murder Lynch because he put her in jail and was going to evict her family from their house and she almost gets caught.
Resolution
Kit, her family and her friend Mick escape to Canada away from Lynch and the famine to start new lives.
Foreshadowing
Chapter 8 page 56- "Little did I know how wrong I was." Chapter 30 page 196- "I will kill Lynch. And I know just how to do it."
Simile
Chapter 33 page 211- "Click! It broke the silence like a shot." Chapter 34 page 218- "Whatever lies I'd told myself about Tom wanting to be free from his fathers grip melted like mist in the midday sun as I watched them together."
Metaphor
Chapter 40 page 250- 'Fear slithered down my back and coiled itself around my gut."
Alliteration
I have not found any alliterations.
7. Write a newspaper story about what happened at the end or during a part of your novel. This will be a news story. Include a photo.
Thursday, June 9, 1847The United Irishman
Potato Famine Strikes Killanamore
Monday morning, hundreds of people in Killanamore woke up to find all of they’re potato crops struck by Phytophthora Infestans, commonly known as potato blight. Very few people have a single potato left and I personally believe that much of the community will struggle to feed their families this season. This is not the first potato famine completely destroying the potato crop in Ireland. The first major, ever recorded potato famine in Ireland was in 1739. This famine completely destroyed the crop. There has been about 18 severe failures since then, not including this one. As most of you will probably know, the blight hit the counties of Wexford and Waterford in 1845. Since then, it has spread into the surrounding counties and then, finally, to here in Wicklow. It is thought that the blight came from America and then spread into nothern Europe. It was eventually carried here, where we now have to suffer it. Many people have already lost their jobs due to the blight. The British government has already put together a committee to help our country through this awful devastation. They will set up Public Works so that men can still earn a living.
IMAGE A blighted potato
6. Find a song or poem, one of each, or several songs and poems that relate to the theme or subject of your novel. Write out the words/lyrics and then explain how it or they relate to your novel. Or you could write a song or poems and then explain them.
It Ends In Ireland
The ships can only hold so many; The docks are full of screaming ladies. Some men swim out but can't climb aboard - This is not a scene from 'War of the Worlds'. They're left ashore with mournful looks, Knowing this is where it'll end. Their plight will never cross the Atlantic; No more coffin ships, just hopeless panic.
This poem relates to Greener Grass because at the end of the book, Kit gets left behind when her family heads off to Canada. But, one thing that is different between ‘It Ends In Ireland’ and Greener Grass is that Kit makes it on a boat and heads to Canada to find her family, but in this poem, no one makes it across the Atlantic to America or Canada.
3. Write an alternate (better?) ending for the novel.
Alternate Ending
Chapter 40
My stomach fluttered. Today was the day! I had a few tears when I thought of leaving Ireland forever, but I soon got caught up in the excitement of the crowds lined up by the gangplanks leading to the ships. Suddenly, I saw someone I recognized. It was Mick! I ran over to him and asked him where his family was. "Gone," he said, a faint hint of sadness in his voice. " I’ve lost everything. But now I have you. For the only thing keeping me sane after losing everything was the thought of seeing you. And now I have. What about you? Where is your family?" "Over there, in that line. Where are you headed?" "Nowhere Kit, for I’ve no money." "Come stand with me and my family and we’ll think of something." After I explained Mick’s situation to my family and the Creans, Tommy came up with an idea. "Why don’t you ask the Captain if you can work on the Dunbrody’s crew. You can pay for your passage that way." "That’s a great idea!" said Mick. "I’ll go talk to the Captain right now. Thank you Mr. Crean!" "Call me Tommy." As Mick headed over to talk to the Captain, I started to get anxious. What if Lynch regains his speech? What if they come after me? What if they catch me? These questions nagged at my soul. A few minutes later, Mick came back. "I have the Captains approval! Thank you so much Mr. Cr... I mean Tommy!" "That’s great Mick! But, you realize that you will be headed to Canada. Do you not want to find Joseph? Then, you could live with him. At least you would be with a part of your family." "That’s true, but I would rather be with you." "Really?" Suddenly, Jack whispered to me, "Kit! They’re here! They found us!" Without asking or looking around, I knew exactly who he was talking about. It was the Lynch’s! They had found me! I started to get anxious. I told everyone to push ahead in the line and to hurry on to the boat. I quickly told Mick what had happened and he looked at me with wide eyes and a dropped jaw. "You did that?" he asked in awe. "Yes. Now move ahead, We are almost at the front of the line." I took a quick look to see if they were heading my way, and Tom caught my eye. I heard him say ‘I’m going to go look around’ to his brothers and he started casually heading my way. This is not good! He’s coming over here. Jack was being checked by the doctor to get on and I was the last one. I tried to hurry, but I wasn't fast enough. Tom was standing right behind me when the doctor called out, 'Next!' ' Kit!' He whispered in my ear. NO! "Don’t go, yet. I want to ask you one simple question and if you answer truthfully I won’t call my brothers over." "OK?" I answered, not sure of what was coming. "Why did you do it? Try to kill my Father, I mean." How am I going to answer that!? He’ll never understand! " I did it only to save my family." As I answered it I knew I wasn’t being completely truthful, but I needed to get on that ship. I raced over to the doctor and as I did, Tom just stood there, seeming like he was trying to figure out what had just happened. After what seemed like an eternity, I was climbing up the gangplanks of the Dunbrody. I looked around and found Mick with my family and the Creans. I was finally on my way with nothing to stop me. Tom joined his brothers on the quay. When the last of the passenger stepped aboard, Mick helped the sailor reel in the gangplank. With the moorings untied, wind snapped the lone sail on the mast and the ship shifted beneath my feet-free. I walked to the front of the ship and leaned against the prow, just above the figure head. Glancing back for one last look, my eyes wandered over the gray-green mountains rolling in the distance under the bright sky. Wicklow. I lived there, once. My gaze drifted downward to the dock where Tom stood like a lone statue staring at the ship. Shoulders slumped, his eyes scanned the crowd at the ship's rail, stopping when they met mine. He raised his hand and yelled something. A threat? An apology? The sea wind whipped the words away. As the prow drew away from the quay, I turned to face the open sea and all that lay ahead. Salt wind blew the shaggy curls off of my forehead. I raised my face to the sun and smiled. I cannot say who Tom saw that day. A murderer. That girl over the hill. Kathleen Byrne. His own Kit. Or perhaps he saw the very spirit of Ireland herself. Alive. Free. And full of hope.
Protagonist
Antagonist
Setting
Conflict
Climax
Resolution
Foreshadowing
Simile
Metaphor
Alliteration
7. Write a newspaper story about what happened at the end or during a part of your novel. This will be a news story. Include a photo.
Thursday, June 9, 1847 The United Irishman
Potato Famine Strikes Killanamore
Monday morning, hundreds of people in Killanamore woke up to find all of they’re potato crops struck by Phytophthora Infestans, commonly known as potato blight. Very few people have a single potato left and I personally believe that much of the community will struggle to feed their families this season.This is not the first potato famine completely destroying the potato crop in Ireland. The first major, ever recorded potato famine in Ireland was in 1739. This famine completely destroyed the crop. There has been about 18 severe failures since then, not including this one.
As most of you will probably know, the blight hit the counties of Wexford and Waterford in 1845. Since then, it has spread into the surrounding counties and then, finally, to here in Wicklow. It is thought that the blight came from America and then spread into nothern Europe. It was eventually carried here, where we now have to suffer it.
Many people have already lost their jobs due to the blight. The British government has already put together a committee to help our country through this awful devastation. They will set up Public Works so that men can still earn a living.
IMAGE
A blighted potato
6. Find a song or poem, one of each, or several songs and poems that relate to the theme or subject of your novel. Write out the words/lyrics and then explain how it or they relate to your novel. Or you could write a song or poems and then explain them.
It Ends In Ireland
The docks are full of screaming ladies.
Some men swim out but can't climb aboard -
This is not a scene from 'War of the Worlds'.
They're left ashore with mournful looks,
Knowing this is where it'll end.
Their plight will never cross the Atlantic;
No more coffin ships, just hopeless panic.
This poem relates to Greener Grass because at the end of the book,
Kit gets left behind when her family heads off to Canada. But, one
thing that is different between ‘It Ends In Ireland’ and Greener Grass
is that Kit makes it on a boat and heads to Canada to find her family,
but in this poem, no one makes it across the Atlantic to America or Canada.
3. Write an alternate (better?) ending for the novel.
Alternate Ending
Chapter 40
My stomach fluttered. Today was the day! I had a few tears when I thought of leaving Ireland forever, but I soon got caught up in the excitement of the crowds lined up by the gangplanks leading to the ships. Suddenly, I saw someone I recognized. It was Mick! I ran over to him and asked him where his family was."Gone," he said, a faint hint of sadness in his voice. " I’ve lost everything. But now I have you. For the only thing keeping me sane after losing everything was the thought of seeing you. And now I have. What about you? Where is your family?"
"Over there, in that line. Where are you headed?"
"Nowhere Kit, for I’ve no money."
"Come stand with me and my family and we’ll think of something."
After I explained Mick’s situation to my family and the Creans, Tommy came up with an idea.
"Why don’t you ask the Captain if you can work on the Dunbrody’s crew. You can pay for your passage that way."
"That’s a great idea!" said Mick. "I’ll go talk to the Captain right now. Thank you
Mr. Crean!"
"Call me Tommy."
As Mick headed over to talk to the Captain, I started to get anxious.
What if Lynch regains his speech? What if they come after me? What if they catch me?
These questions nagged at my soul. A few minutes later, Mick came back.
"I have the Captains approval! Thank you so much Mr. Cr... I mean Tommy!"
"That’s great Mick! But, you realize that you will be headed to Canada. Do you not want to find Joseph? Then, you could live with him. At least you would be with a part of your family."
"That’s true, but I would rather be with you."
"Really?"
Suddenly, Jack whispered to me, "Kit! They’re here! They found us!"
Without asking or looking around, I knew exactly who he was talking about. It was the Lynch’s! They had found me! I started to get anxious. I told everyone to push ahead in the line and to hurry on to the boat. I quickly told Mick what had happened and he looked at me with wide eyes and a dropped jaw.
"You did that?" he asked in awe.
"Yes. Now move ahead, We are almost at the front of the line."
I took a quick look to see if they were heading my way, and Tom caught my eye. I heard him say ‘I’m going to go look around’ to his brothers and he started casually heading my way.
This is not good! He’s coming over here.
Jack was being checked by the doctor to get on and I was the last one. I tried to hurry, but I wasn't fast enough. Tom was standing right behind me when the doctor called out, 'Next!'
' Kit!' He whispered in my ear.
NO!
"Don’t go, yet. I want to ask you one simple question and if you answer truthfully I won’t call my brothers over."
"OK?" I answered, not sure of what was coming.
"Why did you do it? Try to kill my Father, I mean."
How am I going to answer that!? He’ll never understand!
" I did it only to save my family."
As I answered it I knew I wasn’t being completely truthful, but I needed to get on that ship. I raced over to the doctor and as I did, Tom just stood there, seeming like he was trying to figure out what had just happened. After what seemed like an eternity, I was climbing up the gangplanks of the Dunbrody. I looked around and found Mick with my family and the Creans. I was finally on my way with nothing to stop me.
Tom joined his brothers on the quay. When the last of the passenger stepped aboard, Mick helped the sailor reel in the gangplank. With the moorings untied, wind snapped the lone sail on the mast and the ship shifted beneath my feet-free.
I walked to the front of the ship and leaned against the prow, just above the figure head. Glancing back for one last look, my eyes wandered over the gray-green mountains rolling in the distance under the bright sky. Wicklow. I lived there, once.
My gaze drifted downward to the dock where Tom stood like a lone statue staring at the ship. Shoulders slumped, his eyes scanned the crowd at the ship's rail, stopping when they met mine. He raised his hand and yelled something. A threat? An apology? The sea wind whipped the words away. As the prow drew away from the quay, I turned to face the open sea and all that lay ahead. Salt wind blew the shaggy curls off of my forehead. I raised my face to the sun and smiled.
I cannot say who Tom saw that day. A murderer. That girl over the hill. Kathleen Byrne. His own Kit. Or perhaps he saw the very spirit of Ireland herself.
Alive. Free. And full of hope.